PC PAL Team

PC PAL Team

PC PAL is the UK's award winning Computer, Laptop, Mac & Smartphone support specialists, with experienced, qualified & local Computer Engineers based in your area. We are a name that local people have come to recognise and trust. Please take a moment to read our feedback from our loyal customers, or find your local PC PAL Engineer.
Online Security, Tech News 11th May 2012 2832

For all you concerned parents out there with children under 12 years of age, it has been reported that the age ratings on computer games is to be simplified and will now be rated by the Video Standards Council (VSC) in line with European guidelines rather than the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).

What does this mean?

Previously, the BBFC was never tasked with providing 12 certificates for video games, meaning it was technically legal to sell a 12-rated game to children younger than 12. With this new system though, for the first time, if anyone is caught selling a 12-rated game to a child under that age, they could face a prison sentence. (Good news for you parents!)

Certain games will continue to be exempt from age-ratings such as educational or sports game. Also, VSC will have the option to have the option to refuse an age rating meaning that it will be illegal to sell in the UK – this will only be the case if the content is extreme.

We have also heard that there is a possibility that the Government are also considering widening this law to include media such as pop videos and DVDs to protect children from inappropriate material.

We should also mention that these rules don’t apply to online sales of games so we recommend you keep on monitoring what your youngsters are buying online as well as any media content they are watching!

For more information on child protection online, check out our article below - Is you Child Safe Online?

https://pcpal.co.uk/2012/05/is-your-child-safe-online-take-control/

PC PAL Team

PC PAL is the UK's award winning Computer, Laptop, Mac & Smartphone support specialists, with experienced, qualified & local Computer Engineers based in your area. We are a name that local people have come to recognise and trust.

Please take a moment to read our feedback from our loyal customers, or find your local PC PAL Engineer.

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